Red Cross recruiting volunteers ahead of tornado season

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The Daily Ardmoreite

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Posted Feb. 15, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Posted Feb. 15, 2013 at 3:00 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY

In April last year, tornadoes ripped through the Woodward and Norman areas in Oklahoma. During the same season, 17 tornadoes ripped through the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. As is the custom, the American Red Cross responded immediately to get help to those in need.

One of the first tasks undertaken by Red Cross volunteers is a disaster assessment. This duty is critical to the organization because it helps them determine how many families are affected, how many meals need to be prepared and how many volunteers will be needed to respond. Now the American Red Cross is seeking to increase its pool of disaster assessment volunteers in advance of tornado season by offering a pool of upcoming training courses.

The Red Cross is urging new volunteers to get trained in February so that they can participate in the agency’s first tornado disaster drill that will take place across the states of Texas and Oklahoma on March 2.

Anyone interested in joining the American Red Cross should go to www.okc.redcross.org and click on the “Volunteer” link or call (405) 228-9500. To prepare for spring storms, visit www.redcross.org.